Unloading device.



No. 804.761. PATENTED NOV. 14, 1905.

A C. E. OTTERMAN.

UNLOADING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.21,1904.

.S1/wm @ifo/z 'v Witwe was QM@ A e 5?' U Y MQ NITED STATES CHARLES E. OTTERMAN, OF TOLEDO, IOWA.

lUNLOADINGI DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1905.

Application filed December 21, 1904. Serial No. 237,839.

To @ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known I, CHARLES E. OTTERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Tama and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Unloading Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to unloading devices, and especially to that class of unloading devices adapted for use in unloading lumber or timber from cars.

The object of my invention is to provide an unloading device which may be quickly and securely attached to the sides of cars of varying heights and proportions and provided with a roller adjustable vertically over which the lumber may be rolled.

With this and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of my improved unloading device secured to the side door of a freight-car and in operative position. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of my improved unloading device, taken on a vertical line as 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout both views.

In its preferred embodiment my improved unloading device comprises a pair of upright adjustable frame-pieces 1 with extensions 2.-

The extension members 2 are provided with feet 3 and are secured to the frame-pieces 1 by bolts 4 or in other approved manner permitting the longitudinal adjustment of the sections 1 and 2 relative to each other. At their upper end the frame members 1 are provided with hooks 5, adapted to hook within the jamb of a car-door. Intermediate the ends of the frame members 1 bearing-plates 6 are provided adapted to hold the frame members 1 at a little distance from the side of the car. A hook 7 is provided adapted to hook over a rail beneath the car, as at 8, and is attached to the frame extension 2, as by the spring 9 and collar 10.

At their upper ends the frame members 1 are provided with bearings 11, and therein is rotatably mounted a shaft 12. The shaft 12 is provided adjacent its ends with winding drums or sprockets 13, over which chains 14 are disposed. A bar 15 is disposed transversely across from the upstanding frame members 1, and to the ends of which the chains 14 are attached. A crank arm 16a is attached to shaft 12, adapted to rotate the said shaft and to move the bar 15 to a desired adjustmentvertically. Intermediate the ends of the bar 15 a bearing 16 is provided, preferably, with a ball-race, upon which is mounted a yoke 17 ,also provided at its middle portion with a ball-race adapted to register with the ball-race in bearing 16 and in which are disposed balls 18 to form a ball-bearing. Between the ends of the yoke 17 is mounted a roller 19 upon a substantially horizontal axis. Adjacent the ends of the yoke 17 are disposed short upstanding rollers 20, disposed to rotate upon vertical axes.

It will be noted that the hooks 5, bearingplates 6, and collar 1() are all adjustable upon the frame members and that the frame members are adjustable to various heights. When lumber is to be unloaded from a car, the said adjustable members are adjusted to properly engage the car to be unloaded and the hook 5 forced into engagement with the upper jamb of the door. With the hook 5 in engagement the bearing-plates 6 will engage the side of the car, and the hook 7 being hooked over the rail 8 the spring 9 will draw the frame securely against the side of the car and hold it in operative position. The roller 19 is then adjusted to a convenient height and the lumber contained in the car is placed upon the roller 19 and pushed or pulled out of said car, the roller 19 swinging to any desired angle upon the balls 18. The rollers 2O prevent the lumber from slipping over the end of the roller 19. As lumber is removed from the car the roller 19 may be lowered by the manipulation of the crank 16a.

It is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the construction and detail of my unloading device without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as novel, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device for unloading cars comprising an opstanding frame, means for securing the frame to a car and to a rail beneath the car, a roller slidably mounted adjacent to the frame and means to adjust the roller to various vertical positions.

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2. A device for unloading cars comprising a frame adapted to be secured to the side of a car and provided with means for engaging a rail beneath the car, a vertically-adjustable crossbar, disposed slidably engaging said frame and extending substantially parallel with the side of the car, means for adjustably varying the height of said cross-bar, a yoke pivotally mounted on said cross-bar, a longitudinally-disposed roller mounted in said yoke and an upstanding roller mounted upon each end of said yoke.'

3. In a device for unloading cars, a frame adapted for mounting a roller and provided with a hook to engage the top jamb of a cardoor, a side bar of adjustable length and adapted to stand on the ground, a brace secured to said side bar and adapted to abut the side of a car, a hook adapted to engage a rail beneath the car and a spring connecting the hook and the lower end of the side bar.

In testimony whereof I afX my signature in presence o'f two Witnesses.

CHARLES E. OT'IERMAN.

Witnesses:

O. M. FERRISS, MARTHA HUTCHISON. 

